Biographical Narrative
Dr. Lu received a medical bachelor degree (US MD equivalent) from Jiangxi Medical College, China in 1983; a master of science degree from Peking Union Medical College in Beijing in 1986; and a PhD degree from Rutgers University/UMDNJ in 1993. After completing his postdoctoral research at Princeton University, he was appointed as a tenure-track assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in 1997 and was promoted to a tenured associate professor there in 2003. He joined Indiana University as a full professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Daniel and Lori Efryomson Professor of Oncology in 2007 before joining Tulane University School of Medicine in January 2012.

Dr. Lu has expertise in the fields of protein chemistry; molecular biology; cancer mechanisms involving p53, the most important tumor suppressor, and c-Myc, one of the important oncoproteins; and translational cancer research. His research has led to the identification of several important protein regulators of p53 and its homologs as well as c-Myc and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer formation. One of his major contributions has been to uncover the previously under-appreciated ribosomal stress-p53 signaling pathway together with two other scientists. Part of his work will be useful for anti-cancer drug development. Recently his lab has identified a novel small molecule called Inauhzin that can suppress tumor growth by activating the p53 pathway as a potential anti-cancer drug candidate. His work has resulted in approximately 85 high-quality publications in scientific journals, such as Nature, Molecular Cell, Cancer Cell, EMBO J, PNAS, EMBO Reports, EMBO Molecular Medicine, MCB, JBC, Cancer Research, Cell Death and Differentiation, Oncogene, etc.

Professor Lu serves as an editorial board member for Cancer Biology and Therapy, the International Journal of Cancer Research (US), the Journal of Biological Chemistry and the International Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is also amember of the Tumor Progression and Metastasis (previous Pathology B) study section at the National Institutes of Health, and he serves as a scientific advisory board member for the Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA) Foundation, Inc. in New York. He has received the Schering Corp Fellowship for Outstanding Performance in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a postdoctoral fellowship by the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Research Fund, the New Jersey Cancer Research Award for Scientific Excellence, and the Teaching Excellence award at OHSU. He has been invited more than 100 times to give seminars and lectures at various national and international conferences.